Good Light Stands for heavier lights/

TubEfingers

TubEfingers

Well-known member
Anyone recommend some good light stands for heavier LED fresnels? (Photon Beards), supplied stands flex at taller settings. Cheersphotonbeam.jpg
 
The Manfrotto Alu Ranker stands are actually pretty solid. They also link together for storage, making them really easy to stack in a truck or even in a small car.

The Matthews Beefy Baby is always a good choice, and Adorama has an equivalent from American Grip (LS04 Triple Rise) that is also very good. I use these with large LED Fresnels, extended to 12’, with no issue.
 
My vote is for finding used baby steel stands or beefy babies. The stability of a steel stand over aluminum makes the tradeoff in weight worth it. I also have a couple of the Avenger Baby Aluminum stands with the leveling legs in a pelican case when I need something smaller and lighter. When it comes to stands, you get what you pay for. But a beat to hell steel stand with risers that still work is better than a new aluminum stand with plastic knobs for the same price.
 
I agree with CPreston. I have several different style stands, from flyweight Manfrotto travel stands to Norms Steel Three Risers with the baby pins. Lightweight LED panels can go on anything but once you get into heavier instruments, American Grip, Norms and Matthews will make you feel more secure that your light stands won't bend, buckle or tip over easily.
 
Aluminum is lighter-weight but it is gonna flex more than steel. You can at times reduce flex by not extending stages all the way if you do not have to. Or by using the lower stages in lieu of thinner upper stages, when possible. Despite that being counter to what we are taught- that you extend the top stages first.

Because steel stands are heavy-ish in and of themselves, people fall into the bad habit of not bagging steel stands. But try to be diligent about bagging no matter the stand. The "Boa" bags are a bit gimmicky but for small-crew work with lighter-weight kit, the Boa bags are handy. They travel well hanging from the handles of a cart.
 
The boa bags are good for counterbalancing boom arms(and why I bought them), but not nearly heavy or big enough to properly bag a stand.
 
If you have red head sized fixtures, with barndoors, then one of the practical reasons the stands flex is that they are lightweight. We had it with real redheads - you needed 3 or 4 in a package you can carry - so the stands were always a bot flexible, or a bit too light to stay up when people kick the cable. Decent heavy stands are available - the Manfrottos, for example with the 16mm socket and the big TV spigot too. They weigh a ton. Flexing, rather than snapping is safer - so for me a bit of flex without breaking is actually OK.
 
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